Window shutter



Jan. 1, 1952 v. A. VICKSELL, SR

WINDOW SHUTTER Filed Oct. 8, 1945 INVEN TOR.

ATTORNE Y Patented Jan. 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WINDOW SHUTTER Victor A. Vic'ksell, Sr Kansas City, Mo. Application October 8, 1945, Serial N0. 621,073

3 Claims.

This invention relates to window shutters of the character attachable to window frames to control the passage of light and air through the window. opening and the primary aim of the invention is to provide a, window shutter assembly, the parts whereof are independent until such time as the user desires to associate the same with the window structure.

One of the important objects. of this invention is to provide a window shutter having a plurality of slats uniquely supported in specially designed clips, which clips are individually and separately mounted upon rails. disposable within conventional grooves forming a part of the window frame.

A still further aim of this invention is toprovide structure of the aforementioned character wherein is included a number of independently and pivotally mounted clips arranged to support slats and interconnected by a tie. bar, the nature whereof insures shifting of the slats to. an open position as the window sash is moved to the closed condition.

Further objects of the invention includes specific details of construction and particularly the form of latch, tie bar and means of joining the said tie bar to the several clips.

The invention about to be described is a continuation in part of my co-pendingapplication filed Junefi, 1945, under Serial No. 597,834, now Patent 2,496,921. for AdjustableWindow Ventilator. l

The invention about to be detailedis capable of embodiment in simple, rugged: and easily erected parts and therefore, may be used when manufacturing window shutters for shipment in a knocked down condition. Advantages and other benefits emanating from the invention will appear during the. course of. the following specification referring. to the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view of the window structure made in accordance with my invention and showing the same associated with a conventional window frame. p l Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line III-III of Fig. 1. n

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary perspective view illustrating the latch and tie. bar construction as well as the manner of ,individually mounting the clips, and i Fig. 5 is a detailed perspective view on an enlargedscale illustrating'the character of the tie bar foot.

Most dwellings and buildings are equipped with window frames H] of the general character illustrated in the drawings. These window frames have parting strips l2 between which is formed a groove and into which groove the rails M of my window shutter are adapted to enter. There are two rails l4, one to be disposed at each side of the window frame and in a vertical position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. These rails may be formed of wood or metal, as necessity dictates, so long as they are capable of individually supporting a number of clips l6, each of which is provided with an ear [8 through which passes a securing screw or pin 20; This pin 20 pivotally supports each clip I6 and the clips are arranged in pairs in opposed relation, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Clips [6 are U-shaped and the free ends of the legs thereof project inwardly and toward each other; thus the .slats 22 are received between the legs of clips; to be held by the latter in a position where movement of the clips l6 about the axis of their pivotal support 20 will shift the slats to and from the open position, illustrated in Fig. 1.

Slats 22 are strengthened by bending the same as seen in Fig. 4, and in the preferred form slats 22 are sectional with the sections thereof telescoped to accommodate windows of varying widths. A substantially central longitudinal ridge 24 is produced in the two sections of slats 22 and it is this ridge that is engaged by the detents 26 in the legs of each clip l6. Slats 22 are preferably of relatively thin resilient metal. and when the ends are forced between the legs. of clips Hi, the central ridged portion 24 snaps into place between detents 26 to prevent acci dental lateral displacement.

A tie bar 28 positioned along the inner face of one of the rails 14 is pivotally joined to each clip "5 in a special manner permitting the house holder or other installer to associate the parts without the use of special tools or equipment. This tie bar 28 is provided with a number of perforations which lie in opposed relation to each clip I6 behind which it is positioned when the clips are in the open orhorizontal position (see Fig. 3). When in such relation the openings or perforations in tie bar 28 are in register with perforations in the bight of each clip I6. In this position arivetilh may be held in place because the head of the rivet 30 lies between tie bar 28 and the face of rail Hi. When assembling the tie bar 28, clips I6 and rivets 30, the screws 26 which hold clips in place, are not driven completely to the final position and enough clearance is presented to allow the manipulator to insert the rivets 30 with the heads thereof in the position just described. Under such conditions the rivets will not accidentally fall from place.

Tie bar 28 has a number of teeth presenting shoulders 32 at one edge thereof, which edge is normally adjacent to the window sash 3 4. A latch 36 slida'bly mounted through the medium of the screw and slot construction 38 cooperates with shoulder 32 in holding tie bar 28 in one of a number of positions, which in turn holds the clips and slate i6 and 22 respectively at an angle where the desired amount of light or airwill pass through the opening of window l0.

A spring 40 disposed as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, has one end attached to the upper end of tie bar 28 while the other end thereof is affixed to spring bracket 42 secured as at 44 to rail M. This spring 40 exerts an upward pressure upon tie bar 2s and when latch 36 is withdrawn from engagement with any of the shoulders 32 and the window sash 34 is in the raised position, spring 40 will pivot all of clips [6 on both sides of the window opening to carry slats 22 toward a closed position. The width of these slats 22 is sufficiently great to cause an overlapping thereof when the slats are in a substantially vertical plane. Thus a complete closing of the window will occur when latch 36 is inoperative and sash 34 is raised. It is usually desirable to have the window shutter in an open condition when sash 34 is closed and to that end automatic means is provided.

A'pivotally mounted foot 46 laterally disposed at the bottom of tie bar 28 may be swung from the position shown in full lines of Fig. to the position shown in dotted lines thereof. When foot 46 is in the position shown in full lines of Fig. 5, it will lie in the path of travel of sash 34 and when the sash approaches the completely closed position it will engage this foot 46 and move tie bar 28 longitudinally to automatically open all of shutters 22. The form of the notches creating shoulders 32 in tie bar 28 is such as to not retard the movement of tie bar 28 when this action occurs. After the window sash 34 is raised the operator may manually shift latch 36 to any position desired to hold slats 22 at a predetermined angular position.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the parts of the Window shutter may be disassembled with ease and when the same are manufactured they may be packaged in a carton that is relatively small and with the slats 22, the rails M, the tie bar 28 and all of the clips 5 in a side by side compact condition. When the parts reach the point of use, the householder may quickly assemble the same and install the shutter on any window I0 having usual arrangement of parts.

' Other means for automatically controlling the position of slats 22 may be provided and such 6 means may operate independently of sash 34 if such is desired. Obviously the window shutter ma assume physica1 characteristics of a nature different from those illustrated and described, all without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: v

' 1. For a window frame having a vertically re 4 ciprocable sash carried thereby, a shutter assembly comprising a pair of spaced, vertical side rails mounted in the frame; a series of spaced clips on each of said rails respectively, each clip being independently mounted intermediate the ends thereof for rotation on a horizontal axis, the axes of rotation of the clips of each series being vertically aligned in parallelism with the corresponding rail; .a slat spanning the distance between eachclipjrespectively of one series thereof and opposed clips of the other series thereof,

said slats being releasably secured to the clips and being freely slidable into and out of operative engagement with the clips; at least one vertically reciprocable bar pivotally secured to each clip of one series thereof adjacent one of said -ends of theclips; and a foot on the bar at the lowermost end thereof within the path of travel of said sash, whereby the bar is moved to swing the clips and the slats thereon in one direction when the sash is lowered to a closed position within said frame.

2. For a window frame having a vertically reciprocable sash carried thereby, a shutter assembly comprising a pair of spaced, vertical side rails mounted in the frame; a series of spaced clips on each of said rails respectively, each clip being independently mounted intermediate the ends thereof for rotation on' a horizontal axis, the axes of rotation of the clips of each series being vertically aligned in parallelism with the corresponding rail; a slat spanning the distance between each clip respectively of one series thereof and opposed clips of the other series thereof, said slats being releasably secured to the clips and being freely slidable into and out of operative engagement with the clips; at least one vertically reciprocable bar pivotally secured to each clip of one series thereof adjacent one of said ends of the clips; and a foot on the bar at the lowermost end thereof and normally disposed within the path of travel of said sash, whereby the bar is moved to swing the clips and the slats thereon in one direction when the sash is lowered to a closed position within said frame, said foot being pivotally secured to the bar for swinging movement out of the normal position thereof within the path of travel of the sash.

3. For a window frame having a vertically reciprocable sash carried thereby, a shutter assembly comprising a pair of spaced, vertical side rails mounted in the frame; a series of spaced clips on each of said rails respectively, each clip being independently mounted intermediate the ends thereof for rotation on a horizontal axis, the axes of rotation of the clips of eachseries being vertically aligned in parallelism with the corresponding rail; a slat spanning the distance between each clip respectively of one series thereof and opposed clips of the other series thereof, said slats being releasably secured to the clips and being freely slidable into and out of operative engagement with the clips; at least one vertically reciprocable bar pivotally secured to each clip of one series thereof adjacent one of said ends of the clips; a foot on the bar at the lowermost end thereof within the path of travel of said sash, whereby the bar is moved to swing the clips and the slats thereon in one direction to open the slats when the sash is lowered to a closed position within said frame; a spring joining the bar and the proximal rail for yieldably holding the bar at one end of its path of travel with the'slats closed; a number of teeth in the bar;

5 and a. latch on said proximal rail movable to and Number fi om a position engaging said teeth to hold the 182,992 bar against movement under influence of said 188,908 spring. 1,340,252 VICTOR A. VICKSELL, Sn. 5 1,722,059 1,934,337 REFERENCES CITED 2,317,994 The following references are of record in the 2,371,154 file of this patent: 2'496'921 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 73,213 Wharry Jan. 7, 1868 Name Date Byam Oct. 10, 1876 Hopkins et a1 Mar. 27, 1877 Rasmussen May 18, 1920 Riker July 23, 1929 Swanson Nov.. 7, 1933 Huff May 4, 1943 Cuthill et a1. Mar. 13, 1945 Vicksell Feb. 7, 1950 

